


I Wanna Taste Her Lips Part II: Tony's POV

by within_a_rustic_cafe



Series: Fated By Stars [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, M/M, Pre-Slash, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 20:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6625942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/within_a_rustic_cafe/pseuds/within_a_rustic_cafe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What are you talking about, Pepper? I’ve never been in a serious relationship before you, never loved anyone before you.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say that, darling,” Pepper said softly, eyes looking a bit distant. “There’s someone. And he’s been a part of your life much longer than I have.” Tony stumbled a bit in their dance when she said that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Wanna Taste Her Lips Part II: Tony's POV

**Author's Note:**

> Part II of I Wanna Taste Her Lips in Tony's POV  
> Thanks for reading!

The day was supposed to be out of this world. They were hosting a large Avenger party that night, filled with fun and excitement, the energy vibrating. Tony was all too eager to socialize and be with his close friends. 

But that all came to a screeching halt when Pepper dropped the breaking-up bombshell on him. She told him that she hadn’t felt the romantic spark in their relationship for a while, and that she couldn’t keep pretending anymore. “It’s not that I think that you don’t care. I just don’t think you’re truly happy, Tony,” she said to him as she readied herself for a meeting that morning. Tony, who was still trying to wake up, felt his heart sink. 

“What?” he asked, eyes wide yet blurry with sleep. “Of course I’m happy with you. I love you, Pep.” Tony really did love her, but even he couldn’t deny the hollowness in his words. Pepper just gave him a sad, close-mouthed smile, her blue eyes slightly watery.

“I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back after the party’s over and we can finish this conversation,” Pepper remarked, brushing her curled hair back over her shoulder. With that, she turned and headed out their, (now his) bedroom door, her high heels clacking in the tile hallway. 

During the party, Tony went through the motions of entertaining the guests, a false smile plastered on his face. He never thought he’d dread a party until then, his mind preoccupied with the conversation he and Pepper were supposed to finish later. He just wanted to get it over with, followed by a tumbler full of a strong alcohol. No preference, just booze.

Every so often he would get a glimpse of Steve, the man moving from one wall to the next, watching everything. Tony had wanted to go talk with him, to see if he was enjoying himself. But when his gaze would lock with the super soldier’s, Steve would turn away, almost shyly before taking a sip of the drink in his hand. Tony only assumed he wanted to be alone and ignored the pang in his chest. He and Steve were close friends, and there was a part of him that wanted to confide in the blonde about his crumbled relationship with Pepper. But Steve didn’t seem to want company, and so Tony kept his distance, jumping from group to group as the party progressed into the late evening.

Once everyone was gone, Tony let out a long sigh, trudging back up to the communal area to await Pepper’s return. He sat on the couch, his body tired, his heart heavy. When he heard the elevator ping, he stood and turned to see Pepper in the same form fitting navy dress she had on earlier, her hair now a bit unkempt from her busy day of meeting after meeting. She was still the most beautiful woman he knew. He couldn’t help but to wrap his arms around her, to feel her petite form against him. Pepper hugged him back though, squeezing him tightly before giving him a peck on the lips. Tony asked how her meetings went, and she asked about how the party was. They both gave half-hearted remarks, knowing that they needed to get everything on the table.

“I’m sorry,” Pepper finally said, her voice cracking a little as she looked up at Tony with so much sorrow in her eyes. God, what had he done to her? 

“It wasn’t your fault, Pep. I-I just wish I could do something to make you stay. To prove to you how much I love and care about you,” Tony said, his own eyes pleading. He wrapped an arm around her small waist, just needing to have her close, as if that would keep her with him, making her stay. 

“I know that you love me, Tony,” she started then, grasping his other hand in hers while she also rested one hand on the man’s shoulder. “But not in a romantic, relationship way. I can’t help but feel that I’ll never have your whole heart.” Pepper began to sway gently form side to side, Tony following into rhythm. “There’s a piece of you that already belongs to someone else.”

“What?” Tony was genuinely confused. “What are you talking about, Pepper? I’ve never been in a serious relationship before you, never loved anyone before you.”

“I wouldn’t say that, darling,” Pepper said softly, eyes looking a bit distant. “There’s someone. And he’s been a part of your life much longer than I have.” Tony stumbled a bit in their dance when she said that.

Tony racked his brain until he realized who she was referring to. “Are you talking about Captain America? Steve?” Tony asked incredulously, an eyebrow quirked. Pepper just nodded. “Look, he was my childhood hero growing up. You know that. Doesn’t mean I love him,” Tony said a bit defensively. “Hell, I didn’t even like the guy for the longest time.” Tony and Steve had butted heads on absolutely everything when they first met. Tony was disappointed that Steve wasn’t as heroic as Captain America was. And Steve had found Tony to be beyond irritating, his ways nowhere near Steve’s orderly fashion. 

But then something switched within them, their differences becoming a healthy balance. When they had become actual friends along with colleagues, Tony felt a sense of belonging. But that didn’t mean anything. Nor did the fact that he always made sure Steve had the best battle equipment and the safest uniform. So what if he enjoyed Steve visiting him down in his lab, the blonde working on art while he dabbled with formulas and gear. And it sure didn’t mean anything that he felt at home when he was with Steve. 

“It’s all dawning on you now, isn’t it?” Pepper responded, shaking the brunette from his subtle revelation. Tony just blinked at her.

“Okay, so he and I are extremely good friends. Big deal,” Tony said, trying to wave it all off, attempting to sooth Pepper’s heart and mind so that their relationship could continue on. “Plus, he’s a guy, Pepper. You of all people should know that I don’t swing that way,” Tony chuckled lightly, his one hand caressing up her back to feel the cool metal of the zipper sewn on the back of her dress. Pepper knew he was right, too. She had been around him enough to know that he had bedded multiple women, loving their enticing, soft curves. It wasn’t that he had something against same sex relationships, he just personally never found himself sexually drawn to male before. 

Pepper just giggled and rolled her eyes at him. “Loving someone isn’t only about sex,” she said, basically reading his mind and smacking him lightly on the chest playfully. “It’s about the heart connection, emotional bonding.”

“And you don’t think we have that?” Tony inquired. He always felt that they did. Pepper made his heart flutter and swell constantly, and he thought he made her heart do the same thing. 

Pepper paused for a moment, stilling their movements as she thought over her reply. “No,” Pepper admitted, squeezing his bicep affectionately, picking up their dance once more. “I can see it in your eyes, Tony. That connection, that spark, when you’re with him, that’s where your heart truly lies. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, the sight causing the chambers of Tony’s heart to shrivel. 

Reaching a hand up, Tony brushed some of her lovely, light hair from her eyes, nestling it behind her ear before wiping a tear off her cheek. He let his thumb caress her small chin, feeling the delicate skin there. “I am so damn sorry, Pepper.” The woman just nuzzled into his touch, looking up to him with glistening, wet eyes. 

“I know that you love me. And I love you.” Her voice was soft yet broken. “But we both deserve to be happy. And I know now, after years of trying to understand what it was we could do differently to make our love work,” she trailed off then, looking down at the ground. “I know now that it isn’t something we can fix. You can’t fix something that never worked in the first place.

“Pep,” Tony started, his voice broken and breathless. He was honestly blindsided by all this. He had thought that she was the one he would spend the rest of his days with. Pepper just shook her head softly, though, her hair shifting over her shoulders from the movement. “Why didn’t you mention this before?” He had to ask, he needed to know.

“I told you, Tony.” She sounded tired, her body void of energy. “I wanted to figure it out. Wanted to do all that I could to see what it was that I could do differently. But in the end…” The woman took a breath. “I just can’t do this anymore.” Tony looked down, emotion washing over him like a tide crashing against the sand.

“I can’t lose you in my life, Pepper.”

“You won’t,” she replied quickly, regaining her composure before pulling away slightly from their swaying motions. “I’ll always be your CEO, as well as your dear friend. You’ve always been my family.”

Tony nodded. “As you’ve always been mine,” he replied in but a whisper. He dropped his hands to his side. “And you know you’re more than welcome to stay here with me. I’ve got that extra room in the penthouse,” Tony offered, his demeanor and emotions more collected. Pepper only smiled.

“It’s okay. I actually have an apartment suite that is move-in- ready a few blocks away,” the fair-haired woman said as they started toward the elevator. Tony furrowed his brows at that. So, she’d been planning this for at least a little while if she already had a place picked out and signed into contract.

“What’s the name of the place?” Tony asked. He’d be sure to pay all her expanses. Even if she tried to tell him no. But she told him the place, sniffling and wiping her nose on the handkerchief he had offered her as they entered the elevator.

Once he and happy got Pepper situated with her luggage into the limo, Tony gave the beautiful woman a tender kiss on her forehead. She smiled at the affection.

“I’ll be heading to Japan to meet with Stark expansion there tomorrow. I’ll drop by afterwards to go over everything and have you sign all the papers you don’t care about,” she said, her words attempting to be humorous. Pepper’s eyes betrayed her, though, as they watered once more.

“Alright,” Tony said, his own eyes misting, his throat constricted.

“Will that be all, Mr. Stark?” Pepper asked, and God, did Tony feel everything in his world crumble beneath him.

“That will be all, Ms. Potts,” he remarked, giving a small, forced, closed-mouthed smile. He stepped away from the curb as Pepper’s car window went up, Happy slowly pulling onto the road.

Tony laid in bed that night, the glass of scotch he brought with him still full as it sat on his bed side table. He was wide awake, eyes open and staring at the ceiling as he mulled over all of Pepper’s words. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that she believed he loved Steve. It was preposterous! They were good friends, both of them straight. How could something blossom between them? It wasn’t possible.

He turned on his side, eyeing up the empty space next to him where Pepper once slept. They had been through so much together, and now the woman he believed he would marry was gone. Because of Steve.

“In love with Steve,” Tony muttered to himself as he thought of the man’s cerulean eyes and kind smile. Tony scoffed. He really wasn’t gonna think about Steve’s appearance now. His strong physique and chiseled features had nothing to do with anything. 

The best thing for him was to spend a few days alone in his lab. He could clear his head while he tinkered. Things would be alright.

He just needed time.

**Author's Note:**

> I think a Steve/Tony get together fic may have to happen.


End file.
